


Happiness as Two People Dream Of

by lydia_rogue



Category: RWBY
Genre: Agender Character, Agender Ozpin, Alternate Universe - Ladyhawke Fusion, Canon-Typical Violence, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Past Abuse, Jacques Schnee is a piece of shit and deserves to die so don't be too surprised here, M/M, POV Multiple, POV Outsider, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-07
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-12 17:56:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10496451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lydia_rogue/pseuds/lydia_rogue
Summary: Weiss Schnee just wanted to start a new life for herself in Mistral, but when she's approached by a red-eyed bandit and offered a chance at reclaiming her old life, who is she to refuse?





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AniPendragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AniPendragon/gifts).



> _"And then he said, 'One day, we will know such happiness as two people dream of, but never do.'"_
> 
> So AniPendragon is the person who encouraged me to write this. Huge thank you to them for encouraging me the entire way through and believing in me and just being incredibly supportive.

The swill Junior had served up to her as the "house red" was far from the delicate wine she had become used to at home, but Weiss drank it gladly. For all of its _primitive_ feel, the taste was that of freedom.

She kept her shoulders hunched over the bar, hoping that she wouldn't be recognized. While she didn't expect to run into anyone she knew personally - doubly so in an establishment like this - Schnees were unmistakable, with pure white hair and icy blue eyes that were always passed down to the next generation. 

If that wasn't enough to be spotted for a Schneee, there was a poster she could see out of the corner of her eye, placing a hefty sum on her head. She supposed she should be grateful it specified she was to be taken _alive_ and unharmed. Her father wouldn't want a _scandal_ after all - that's why he wanted her back in their manor in Mantle in the first place.

Either way, she kept her hood flipped up and eyes turned down, not engaging in conversation beyond what was necessary to order food.

She flinched when someone bumped into her - a drunk, no doubt - letting out a low curse when it knocked the hood of her cloak off. Her snow white hair was only visible for a moment, but it was enough, apparently, to draw the attention of two of the other bar patrons. She was fairly certain they were the same two that had been following her since she crossed into the wild between the fiefdoms earlier that day.

"Weiss Schnee, I presume?" one of them drawled, leaning on the bar next to her. The other mimicked the stance, deliberately cutting off easy exits. 

She sighed, putting the wine glass down, quietly lamenting the fact she hadn't even gotten to eat the food she'd ordered. Damn - she'd stopped too soon, thinking she was safe enough to indulge in something resembling the comforts of home. "Keep walking," she tried, hoping it would be enough for them to leave her alone. Her voice wavered, though, making the threat a lot less effective. 

"Now that's no way to talk to a friend," the person said, putting a hand on her shoulder, which she tried - and failed - to shake off. "Lord Schnee is looking for you and is offering a handsome reward for anyone who brings you in."

She tried to ignore the man in a red cape to her right who perked up at her father's name. "I'm not going with you." She slipped her left hand under her cloak to reach for her trusty rapier. She didn't have a chance - not really, but maybe she could buy herself just enough time to get away.

Junior was, unsurprisingly, too busy flirting with a red head in a white suit to notice what was going on - not that Weiss thought he would help, beyond throwing out the unruly patrons.

Maybe if she provided a good enough tip he'd then let her slip out the back, but first he'd have to stop flirting with the other man and take notice of what was going on in the rest of the bar.

"Doesn't matter none to me - " the would-be bounty hunter started to say, but was interrupted by a broadsword being held under his chin.

"Little missy here says she doesn't want to go with you." It was the man who had startled earlie, moving in aggressively to her defense. "So you should back off." His eyes were a disconcerting shade of red, but somehow they suited his cocky attitude. 

Weiss stifled a sigh. Having bounty hunters fight over her wasn't exactly her idea of a good time, even if red-eyes seemed a little more polite than the one who had grabbed her shoulder.

The first person swallowed audibly and put their hands up in surrender. Apparently despite all the bravado, they weren't looking for a fight. "Hey, man, she's all yours. No harm no foul."

The two bounty hunters scrambled out of the bar after leaving enough lien on the counter to cover their tabs.

Weiss turned to snarl at her "savior" and tell him _exactly_ where he could shove his sword, but he was already settling back down on the barstool next to her. She eased her grip on her rapier, not that she thought she'd have a great chance against his much larger blade, and settled for glowering while taking a sip of her wine. "I hope you weren't expecting a thank you."

"Nah, I don't expect so much as a 'thank you' from a Schnee," he said, pulling a flask from his breast pocket and taking a long drink. "Qrow Branwen, at your service."

"Weiss," she said, shrugging off the comment on her last name. They didn't exactly have the best of reputations - not since her father had taken over the lordship from her mother. She watched the man carefully, unsure of his intentions.

Qrow seemed perfectly content to ignore her and drink from his flask - and then refill it from the bottle he'd gotten earlier from Junior.

"Is there something you wanted?" she demanded when the silence grew unbearable. 

"Just to sit and have a bite to eat," he said, flagging down Junior to put in his order. "And offer you a proposition."

Weiss gave a slight tilt of her head. "What kind of proposition?"

Qrow sighed, turning to look at her. "I want access to Schnee manor in Mantle. Rumor has it only a Schnee or their invited guest can make it onto the grounds."

It was more than a simple rumor - and most of the nobility across Remnant knew that. The magical safeguards around the manor had been laid centuries ago and had been renewed every generation since. She amended her assessment of 'Qrow' from 'common bounty hunter' to 'minor nobility,' though she still didn't know where he was from. 

"What's in it for me?" Weiss asked, turning away from him and studying the food Junior had just put down on the bar in front of her.

Another long drink from his flask. "Purse full of silver, my horse." He slipped it back into his coat pocket. "James might even go with you. And, in the meantime, I'll keep the mercenaries off your back."

Weiss' lips tightened into a narrow line. It was tempting - more than it should have been, given that it was her family he was talking about - but there was something else that made her pause. Qrow - if that was his real name - seemed to be working under the assumption he wouldn't make it back out of the manor - not that it was an unfair assessment of his chances.

There was an angry glint in his eye that made them hard to meet. If she were to guess, this wasn't some petty robbery - this was something far more personal than that.

She drummed her fingers on the bar, contemplating whether or not to help. It _should_ have been an easy decision, but with her father… Well, maybe she didn't object to the idea as much as others thought she should.

"Do you want to know what I'm planning on doing? Because you might not want to know," Qrow said, a note of worry creeping into his tone.

She closed her eyes, left one still smarting from the healing cut - a parting gift from her father. "I think I know what you've got planned."

There was a heavy silence that hung between the two of them. 

"My mother isn't a bad person, and my brother is a baby," she said slowly. She wondered if she had any ability to bargain for their safety. There was no way this man had an issue with them.

"I have no quarrel with either of them," Qrow confirmed. "Jacques, on the other hand, has caused myself and my beloved untold pain, and I will see that he answers for it."

Weiss shrugged - there was no love lost between her and her father. Her life might actually be _easier_ if he was no longer alive.

"You don't care?" Qrow asked, sounding a little startled. "Damn, Ice Queen."

"You don't like him any more than I do," she snapped. Honestly, most people in Remnant had grown to despise the Schnee name in the past decade. 

He shrugged and took another sip from his flask. "Fair enough. Do we have a deal?"

"If you survive, escort me back at least this far too," Weiss countered. She'd already made it halfway to Mistral - if she was going to backtrack for him, he could at least make sure she got back this far if he survived. She _was_ curious about who "James" was, but she would no doubt find out soon enough.

He let out a derisive snort. "Yeah, sure."

"All right, we have a deal," she said, draining her wine glass.

She wondered if she should ask about the nature of his mission - if Jacques was killed, she might have a chance at reclaiming her title as heiress; provided her parents hadn't already named Whitley as their new successor.

Nevermind that the position should have been Winter's from the start.

The unexpected thought of her sister had Weiss shaking her head.

Winter was gone now - she couldn't dwell on the past.

Even if Qrow failed, it would pretty much guarantee she would have a safe, swift journey to Mistral, where she could be free from her father's influence. She would have preferred Atlas, but it was too close to Mantle. Add to the mess that Penny Polendina, Ironwood's heir, was still too young to assume the title and so her parents were acting as regents until she came of age, the situation was too tenuous for Weiss to risk it.

Succeed or fail, Qrow's plan gave her the best shot of moving on with her life.

* * *

After they finished their meals, Qrow led her outside to fetch his horse. 

"Hope you don't mind, princess, but I typically just sleep out in the woods," Qrow said. "A lot of people don't like James and there's not much in the way of real danger anyway."

She bristled at the title - she was no princess - but didn't say anything. "Not at all." 

She had spent more than one night camping since leaving home. Inns were expensive and innkeepers could be bribed for information. It was safer to stay as far away as possible from people who might sell her out. 

The dimly-lit stable attached to the bar only held a couple of horses. Qrow, naturally, went straight for the largest - a stallion whose back came up to Qrow's shoulder - and started to untie him.

Movement underneath the horse's hooves drew Weiss' attention. She jumped back with a startled yelp when she saw the _wolf_ getting to its feet and stretching.

The beast looked up at her and padded over to Qrow's side with a flick of the tail.

A more charitable description would have been "large dog," but there was something distinctly _other_ about its piercing blue eyes that made her say _wolf_. 

Almost as unique as its eyes was the fur pattern. The beast was split evenly in two - black on the left and a greyish silver on the right - though its tail was pure silver.

Wolves of any sort were a rare sight these days - ever since one had killed Lord Ironwood a few years prior they had been hunted without mercy.

She kept a wary eye on it as they made their way towards the woods just outside the small village.

"James won't bite," Qrow reassured her. They ducked just far enough into the trees so that they wouldn't be seen from the road before stopping.

She tore her eyes away from the wolf to give Qrow an incredulous look. "You named your wolf _James_?"

Qrow shrugged and went down on one knee to greet James properly. "It was the least I could do." The wolf sniffed at his hand for a moment then licked it. "Jimmy just seemed cruel," he added, much more quietly. 

Qrow buried his fingers into the fur on the wolf's side, his face softening when the animal whined pitifully at the nickname. "I know," he murmured, though the rest of his words didn't make it to Weiss' ears intact. 

She had to look away - this, whatever _this_ was, was not meant for her.

* * *

Despite everything, Weiss fell into an easy sleep that night. Perhaps it was the reassurance she wasn't alone, or maybe it was the peace of mind that came with the thought that she was making progress. Either way, she fell asleep more quickly than she had in the week since she left home.

When she woke up some hours later, she wasn't sure at first why - she wasn't particularly tired still, but there also didn't seem to be anything that would have drawn her from her slumber.

She blinked and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. The small fire they'd built was mostly dead at this hour, but it was just early enough that the first light of a false dawn was starting to show, giving her just enough light to see by.

Across the clearing, Qrow's bedroll lay empty next to Goliath. There was no sign of Qrow anywhere in the camp. Weiss said a short prayer to any deity that was listening that he was somewhere close.

Soft whispers drew Weiss' attention to a pair of shadowy forms a short distance away. With a small effort of will, she put up a small glamor, rendering herself mostly invisible - one of the few spells she could still cast, even if it only held for a short while. Confident she wouldn't be seen, she crept closer, rapier in hand, trying to listen in on their conversation.

" - know he doesn't deserve this sort of half-life with you," the darker of the two forms was saying - a woman with a thick mane of black hair and heavy armor. 

The other figure - a tall man wearing a heavy cloak - sighed at her words. His drew his right hand (which looked silver in the moonlight) from beneath the cloak to stroke the beak of the black bird perched on his shoulder. "I can't make that decision for him, Raven." He hunched his shoulders, though, and even from where she was, Weiss could see the defeat in his stance. "How sure are you that you'd be able to break it?"

The woman - Raven, Weiss supposed - shrugged. "I spoke with Ozpin, and they think they know what's wrong. Unless you have a _Schnee_ around who'd be willing to help, what I'm offering may be the only way to give _one_ of you a semblance of a normal life."

The bird nipped at the man's finger, but he didn't seem to notice. "I know." He sighed. "If what you say about Winter is true…" A shrug caused the bird on his shoulder to squawk in protest. "I don't know of anyone who could help, if Oz can't do it then…"

There was something familiar about the man's voice, something Weiss couldn't quite place. She wondered what it was they needed - if she should be stepping forward and offering to help, or slipping back into the shadows and watching her back in case they decided she could help whether or not she was willing.

"I'll be around and am more than happy to pass on a message, if you'd like." Raven's smile bore an uncanny resemblance to a cat about to pounce. "It won't be too long now, will it? The sun's almost up."

He stiffened at the offer. "No, thank you." 

"Suit yourself," she said with another shrug. "Just remember: the solar eclipse is in just a few days. That's our best shot at breaking my brother out of it." She faded back into the mist of the pre-dawn morning, and Weiss made her way back to the camp as quietly as she could.

She had no idea who either of those people were, and Qrow was still nowhere to be found. She didn't recognize the other person's name either - Ozpin - but it didn't matter, they weren't here to help her either. She couldn't count on anyone else.

Deciding that a tree would be her best bet for safety when she was on her own, she deftly climbed one of the nearby ones to wait for morning - and Qrow. 

She was going to be having some serious words with him about them being _followed_ and him abandoning her in the middle of the night. This wouldn't work out for either of them if she was kidnapped by strangers in the middle of the night.

* * *

Qrow appeared back at camp shortly after dawn, looking rumpled and unhappy, James a half-step behind him.

Weiss shimmied down from the tree she was hiding up in, frowning at the man's disheveled state.

"Where _were_ you?" she demanded, hands on her hips. "I woke up hours ago and you were gone, but there were some creeps skulking around the camp, talking about how they need a Schnee for some sort of plan they have."

Qrow stopped his pat down - apparently already looking for his flask, much to Weiss' irritation. "Creeps? What did they look like?"

"Tall man in a cloak, didn't catch his name, dark hair, but he called the woman Raven."

Qrow shrugged at the first description, apparently unruffled, but froze at the name. "Raven? Are you sure?"

Weiss nodded. "Just like your creepy bird name. Listen, I don't care what you do in your free time, but the deal was you keep me _safe_ , you got it? I can't help you if some creeps grab me in the middle of the night and take me back to Mantle all on their own."

Shaking himself from his stupor, Qrow gestured at his wolf. "James here will keep you safe."

"He wasn't there either!" she said with a dismissive wave. "I'm sure he had followed you to whatever tryst you'd sneaked off to. So, before we go any further, are you going to keep up your end of the bargain?"

"James will come if you yell for him; he hadn't followed me." Qrow ran his fingers through his hair. "You'll probably not see me much at night. I don't sleep well, but I'm around, don't worry about it."

Weiss wasn't sure she liked that answer, but she also knew she wasn't going to get a better one, and so let the subject drop. She hadn't been spotted last night and if James had been closer than she thought, she wasn't too concerned.

Instead of starting to pack up camp, Qrow looked around at the surrounding trees as if searching for something. "What are you up to, sister?" he muttered under his breath. "Why are you looking for a Schnee?" 

James whined and Qrow shook his head, untying Goliath from the tree and starting to put his tack on. 

"Did you hear anything else they were talking about?"

"Just some nonsense about the upcoming solar eclipse and some sort of spell." Weiss did know that the solar eclipse would be a powerful moment for those with innate magical talents, like herself, but she hadn't picked up on enough context for the discussion to make sense. 

Qrow's eyes narrowed and he looked to the trees again. When he didn't find what he was looking for he grunted and grabbed the last of their bags. "C'mon, let's get going. We've got a long ways to cover yet."

* * *

They traveled in silence for most of the day, Qrow seemingly keeping an eye on the skies for _something_ \- not that he would tell Weiss what - despite several questions about it. 

Despite heading in the wrong direction, Weiss felt good about heading back towards Mantle. It wasn't a step back - if anything it was the biggest step forward she'd made since leaving home nearly a week ago.

James would occasionally whine at them and lope off, scouting ahead or circling around behind them. 

The wolf seemed far more intelligent than was normal for a dog - and his stare was unnerving at best - it seemed almost _human_ at times, especially when the beast looked up at Qrow. 

She kept her distance from James - who even named a wolf _James_ \- and he kept her distance from her. 

Secretly, she hoped that he wouldn't want to come with her if Qrow didn't make it out of Mantle alive. It would probably just be the best for all involved - even if he was proving useful by helping them keep an eye out for potential enemies. 

After the midday meal, James came running back from his patrol, whining and yipping softly. 

Qrow reached for the broadsword on his back, causing Weiss to grab for her rapier. "What is it?" she hissed, looking around. 

There was a single rider in the distance closing in on their position and _fast_. 

Qrow squinted at them. "Trouble," he said. "Mercenary looking for you, perhaps, or maybe someone else." 

There wouldn't be time for them to escape - Goliath could carry both of them in a pinch, but not fast enough to outpace their pursuer, and they ran the risk of leaving James behind.

When the rider came close, Qrow called out - "Hail traveler!" on the off chance they were friendly.

But the rider paid them no mind. It was impossible to make out any identifying features on the rider - they were wrapped up in a dark cloak with a scarf covering their hair and most of their face except their eyes, and clad in all black in contrast to the pure white horse they rode.

The rider circled the group, blue eyes peeking out through the dark material to watch them closely, looking down at James periodically.

On the third pass, the hooded figure came in close, raising a heavy crossbow, getting off one clear shot at James before riding off to one side and then around them again.

The howl of pain came in stereo from the wolf and Qrow alike - the former crumpling nearly instantly when the bolt embedded itself in his right shoulder. 

Weiss' breath caught in her throat as the rider bore down on them again. Without thinking she threw her arms out, sending out a burst of uncontrolled magical energy at their attacker, sending them flying backwards.

Qrow raced to James' side.

The wolf tried to stand back up, whimpering and collapsing when he put weight on the injured appendage.

"No, no, no," Qrow whispered, hands flitting over James' body. 

Weiss went to his side, trying to study how the bolt was lodged. 

"Should - should we try to remove it?" she asked, keeping one eye out for their assailant. 

"No - I - " he floundered, looking at James, hands uselessly trying to comfort him.

Weiss watched as the rider started to untangle themselves from their horse. "Qrow? We need to do something fast."

"I - _Ozpin_ ," he said, standing up and whistling for Goliath, who came trotting over. "You need to get James to Ozpin - they can help."

When Qrow scooped James up in his arms, Weiss half-expected the animal to snarl or bite, but he didn't, just whined in pain as Qrow draped him across the pommel of the saddle. "The castle is just a few miles down the road - go straight there," he said, tying James in place and then picking Weiss up to put her on the horse too.

"Hey!" she yelped in protest - though whether she was more nervous about being on the horse or so close to an injured wolf she wasn't sure. 

"Ozpin can help," he said again. 

"Where are you going?" she asked, gathering the reins in her hands, careful not to jostle James' wound.

"I've got a score to settle," he growled, smacking Goliath's hindquarters to send them on the way as he unsheathed his broadsword and stalked back towards their attacker.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, before you yell at me in the comments.... *points at Unreliable Narrator tag* Keep that in mind please.
> 
> Out of curiosity, how many of y'all have seen _Ladyhawke_?
> 
> This will update on Thursdays! 
> 
> Yell at me in the comments or on [Tumblr](http://marykay91.tumblr.com/) ([Writing Blog](http://lydiarogue.tumblr.com/)).


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